Women of the War
by SayahRegal
Summary: Set during WW2, Regina Mills is widow of the war, to make money she lets out rooms to women who work the factories to support herself and her son. She keeps herself busy, her days having settled into a rhythm since the beginning of the war. But then comes one Emma Swan, who may just shake things up. M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**I will be continuing this story. Chapter two coming soon. It is halfway done.**

* * *

><p>Regina Mills' day began as any other day in the last year had. She woke up at 5 a.m. and donned a simple frock and entered her kitchen, slipped her apron over her head and tied it at her back, then started to prepare breakfast. A household full of working factory women and a growing boy required plenty of sustenance if everyone was to make it through the day until a short lunch and then supper time.<p>

She whipped through a simple breakfast of eggs, potatoes, toast, and homemade preserves. It was really the best they could do during the war. The eggs had come from her own chickens kept in the coop in her own yard. The preserves, her own strawberry garden. At least she could feel better about that. The potatoes and bread were the only thing that came from elsewhere. Food the women of her household had brought home on their way from work along with other things.

Regina sighed. The war had been hard on all of them. It had left her without a husband and her son Henry without a father. She now let rooms to women who worked the factories in order to make extra money. It beat working herself, and well… the noise honestly helped the house feel less… empty.

Five plates were served and set out on the table. Regina sat and waited, she watched the clock. 5 minutes. She heard a thump and somebody growling. Smirking to herself, Regina began to spread strawberries onto her toast. It never failed. Finally, the first of her housemates clamored down the steps. The leggy brunette, Ruby, detoured into the kitchen, probably to make up the day's coffee.

A few minutes later and Regina's son, Henry came down, still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. At the age of ten, he was rather small for his age and slightly lean. Finally, the rest of her housemates made it down to the dining room just as the smell of coffee wafted throughout the house. Mary Margaret and Kathryn joined them at the dining table just as Ruby exited the kitchen, a pot of coffee and a jug of juice in her hands.

Ruby poured drinks as everyone began to dig into their breakfasts. Juice for Henry and Mary Margaret. Coffee for Kathryn, Regina and herself. She set down what was left in the middle of the table and took her seat to Regina's right, across from young Henry. Everyone reached simultaneously for their drinks and took a sip with a sigh.

Mary Margaret was the first one to break the morning's silence, as usual.

"What a lovely breakfast, Regina, thank you, as always, for making it. I don't know how I would get through my day without it!" The short-haired brunette told Regina in that all too chipper fashion she always seemed to speak with.

Regina attempted not to cringe outwardly in response. Sometimes Mary Margaret's general affect had a way of raking on her nerves. Instead she attempted to reply as politely as she could, though it felt like pulling teeth to do so, "Why, thank you, Miss Blanchard."

Henry tapped at Regina's elbow. He had cleared his plate and was asking silent permission to leave the table. Regina nodded.

"Go. Get your things ready for school," she told him quietly. The boy nodded and slid out of his chair, hurrying away from the table to get ready for school. Regina watched him go. She worried about him. He didn't talk as often as once did. The death of his father had been hard on them both.

The other women had been chattering away as she had been occupied with her son. They cleared their plates as she finished another cup of coffee. She listened as they hurried around the house, gathering whatever they would need for their workdays. Regina enjoyed the noise.

A light tap on the shoulder alerted her to Henry's presence. She turned to find him waiting, silently, his pack thrown over his shoulder. Regina grimaced. She wished he would speak. She wanted him to be okay, just like any other boy his age.

"You ready?" Regina asked him.

At his nod, she stood, went into the kitchen and grabbed the lunch she had prepped for him then walked with him to the door. The other women of the household came rushing down the stairs, just as they made it there. They liked to walk with Regina and Henry to the school bus stop before heading down the road to their own bus stop to the factories.

They chattered excitedly around Regina and Henry as they exited their home. Walking down the dirt path as a group, the strange family made their way to the main road where the bus stop was located. Henry held his mother's hand the entire time.

Regina smiled down at him as they reached his stop. She kneeled down so she could speak to him at eye-level.

"Henry, I want you to have a good day. Be good, and be careful, okay?" She told him, earnestly.

Henry nodded. As Regina stood, the other women in the group each gave him their salutes for the day. Mary Margaret gave him a hug, Kathryn a wave and Ruby, an actual salute before they walked off down the street toward their own stop, continuing their ceaseless chatter as they did so.

Regina waited with him as the bus rolled up and Henry boarded. She waved as he took the next to last seat, next to the window. He looked out, and gave her the smallest hint of a smile and a wave. It was all Regina needed to reassure herself, that maybe, just maybe, her little boy would be okay.

Regina watched as the school bus turned the corner, waiting until the sight of its bright yellow behind was no longer in view, before she turned away and followed the dirt road back home. She didn't look forward to the next part of her day. It was too quiet.

She listed off tasks as she made her way home. Dishes, dusting, sweeping, weeding, gardening, the chickens would need looking after if one of the other women hadn't already taken care of it. Regina would go through the house tidying up until it was near time for everyone to come home. Then she would stop, clean herself up, and prepare dinner. Anything to keep busy.

It was how she spent her days. How she was accustomed to doing things. Regina was halfway through her day's rhythm, the radio station played **Frank Sinatra's** _The Night We Called It A Day_, when a knock sounded at the front door, interrupting her, in the middle of tidying up the bathing room.

_Who could that be? _She had to wonder to herself. Regina rarely had visitors. She wiped her hands off on a towel and removed the apron she wore. She pulled off the scarf she had wrapped around her head to keep her hair out of her face. She looked into the mirror and attempted to tidy her brunette bob as quickly as she could, when the knock sounded again. She huffed, irritated at the sound. Whoever this person was, couldn't they be more patient? They were, after all, knocking, on _her _door, disturbing _her_ in the middle of _her _day.

She marched down the stairs, ready to give this person a piece of her mind. Regina wrenched open the door only to find herself quickly forgetting why she had come down in such a rage in the first place. A rather becoming blonde woman stood on her doorstep, a duffle thrown over one shoulder. The blonde wore high-waisted slacks in the fashion of one of the women who managed the other women at the factories, with a button up blouse tucked in and a pair of Oxford shoes to complete the image. Her blue and green eyes took in Regina with wide interest.

Regina found herself gawking for several moments, unable to speak, while **Frank Sinatra** turned into **Billie Holiday**, before she realized how silly she must have looked! She scolded herself inwardly and shook it off.

"I-, how can I help you, Miss-?" She grimaced, she didn't even know this woman's name.

The blonde gave her a slight smile at this. She reached out a friendly hand, her skin was noticeably pale, a bit of a sunburn colored her arm. Regina grasped her hand. Slightly hard, but still smooth, she noted.

"Emma," the woman told her. "Emma Swan."

They shook hands, each of them with a firm grip. Emma's hands were warm. Something about her spoke of warmth to Regina. It made Regina almost nervous, but it somehow drew her in.

"Miss Swan, what can I do for you?" Regina asked, her voice just a touch shaky. Something about this woman was putting her nerves on edge. Was making her feel, slightly different. She just couldn't put a finger on what.

The blonde seemed to watch her curiously. Then she shook her head as if ignoring a thought before she spoke, "Well, if I could get my hand back, for one, that would be great."

"Oh!" Regina let go of the woman before she made any more of a fool of herself. What was going on with her? She felt hot all of a sudden.

The woman, Emma, Regina reminded herself, ran fingers through her hair.

"Uhh, well, I had seen your flyer down at the local grocer for boarders. I'm kind of new in town… Been living at the inn for a couple of nights, and just got a job at the small munitions' factory, as an assistant inspector…. I'm not into living at at the local boarding houses, all that much…." She trailed off, as if she had just realized she was beginning to ramble.

Regina nodded.

"You're looking for a place to board?" The brunette prodded her.

The blonde smiled.

"Well, yes, that would be the idea. I can pay whatever it is you're asking, for room and board. I'll adhere to any rules you have in place. What ever it is. I'm pretty clean as well." Emma answered earnestly. She seemed so hopeful.

Regina felt her heart ache just a bit at the expression. Something about this woman was pulling at her heartstrings.

"Well, you'll have to share a room with one other person. There are three other women here, not including me, and I do have a son. But other than that, we have plenty of room, if you don't mind sharing…." Regina told her. Emma seemed to think it over for a moment.

"I can handle a single roommate, I think." She told Regina.

"Great. Well, if you come with me." And with that, Regina held the door open, leading the other woman into the house.

Regina took her upstairs and led her beyond two sets of doors before they came to the door that open to Ruby's room. She turned the knob and opened it, hoping without hope the woman had cleaned up after herself before leaving this morning. It was always a 50/50 chance with her. She looked into the room to fin that Ruby, had indeed, tidied up before leaving that morning. She led the way in, Emma a few inches behind.

Two cots lay inside, as well as two simple dressers and two bedside tables with lamps. The blankets and sheets covering them were simple and warm. Nothing fancy, but everything comfortable and simple. Emma observed her surroundings quietly.

"Well?" Regina asked of her, softly.

Emma turned to her, with a grin.

"It's perfect." She told the brunette. "How much?"

Regina shook her head. "$5.00 a week, bring food home when I ask, and we'll call it even."

Emma nodded. She turned away and began to unpack her duffle bag. Regina watched for a minute or two, before she turned away and returned to her tasks. She went back into the bathing room and continued to clean but found herself unfocused. She felt unnerved. This woman had thrown her off. Something about her made her feel something, made her feel _warm. _

Regina finished cleaning then decided it was time for a break. Maybe a cup of tea, and the newspaper or a novel? Anything, to get herself out of her head right now. She slipped out into the hallway and quietly downstairs and into the kitchen. Brewing up her tea, she pulled out the day's paper. All of it, cover to cover seemed to be about the war front, or about what could be done here, on the home front to support the war effort. With a sigh, Regina tossed the paper into the waste bin. It was no good. She walked over to the bookshelf in the sitting room and without looking, grabbed for any old paperback.

She just wanted to read anything, whatever, so long as it got her out of her head. She checked on her tea. It was near-boiling. Time to pour. Regina pulled out a teacup and poured her tea in. It didn't need sugar. The flavoring prevented the need for it. She set the pot aside and arranged everything within reach on the table near her seat where she would spend her time reading.

She took a seat and began to read. Soon enough, she realized this had to be one of Ruby's novel's. The opening scene had begun with something so, _so heat-inducing. _Regina could feel the flush that was making its way from her collar up her neck. She was glad for her olive-tan skin, but still. If she were to read on, she might not have a chance at hiding what she was beginning to feel.

She looked around. No one was moving around the house, perhaps that Emma woman had taken a nap? Regina decided to continue reading. The characters in the story, were interacting in _such a way. _How bold! Yet, no pronouns. How strange. She read on as the story made it's way into some territory she had never been. One was putting their fingers, where? But she only did that when…. And she read on, as she felt herself growing hotter, a light heat growing below her navel. Were these both women? Was she reading an erotic novel about two women?! She nearly threw the book, but found herself unable to let go, unable to stop reading, when suddenly-,

"What are you reading?" A light voice came from behind her. Regina yelped and slapped the booked shut, hiding it in her lap.

The blonde woman, Emma stood behind her. A curious expression on her face. Regina felt herself flush to be gazed at by her. She ducked her head, momentarily, then looked back up, to find at the woman had not yet stopped looking at her.

Regina found herself shocked to realize that she didn't want the woman to stop looking. She met her gaze steadily.

"Oh, umm, just one of the novels one of the other ladies of the household left behind on the bookshelf. I didn't really look when I grabbed. It's nothing really." Regina told Emma as nonchalantly as she could, though she felt her voice came out a little breathily.

Emma raised an eyebrow.

"Well, okay… If you say so. You have anything to eat? I'm pretty hungry. I didn't get lunch. I can bring back whatever you ask tomorrow." Emma told the brunette with puppy eyes.

Regina felt herself smile at the woman. Her son had the same habit. It didn't work on her very often, and it wouldn't work on her with this woman either, but she couldn't deny a hungry woman food.

"I can make you a sandwich to hold you over until dinner. I should probably get started on that anyway, it is getting around that time." She told the blonde. Regina stood, and walked over to the shelf, placing the book back in its place.

As Regina passed Emma on the way to the kitchen, Emma placed a hand on her arm. Regina stiffened at the tingles she felt from the contact.

"If you don't mind. Show me where everything is, and I'll make it myself. I don't want to burden you. It sounds like you do enough around here with making dinner and all." Emma told her, her blue-green eyes holding Regina's own chocolate brown ones.

Regina gave her a brilliant smile. "Thank you, but I like doing it. I-, I'll let you make your own sandwich just this once, but if you make a mess, you'll be banned from the kitchen."

Emma laughed. And threw her hands up in surrender. She backed up and followed Regina as she led her into the kitchen. Regina showed her the location of silverware, bread, bread-knife, lettuce, the different vegetables she might want to put on her sandwich and her deli meats, which were not much due to the war. Emma made her selections and carefully prepared her meal, making as little mess as she could. When Regina nodded her satisfaction at her ability to make a sandwich without making a mess, Emma smiled and proceeded to take a hearty bite out of her creation. The filling of which promptly fell on the floor.

As lettuce, tomato, deli meat and dressing hit her floor with a light, _slap! _Regina looked up at Emma and promptly began to laugh. Emma, wide-eyed, only watched as she finished chewing. She swallowed, then gaped, open-mouthed at the woman before her. A sight that made Regina laugh even more, even as it warmed her from head to toe.

Finally, the blonde managed to speak, "You have the most _amazing _laugh."

Regina coughed as she heard the words. The awe in the blonde's voice had caught her off guard. It almost reminded her of-,

She shook her head. Regina wouldn't think of him.

She waved her hand at the pile on the floor.

"You should probably pick that up." Regina told the woman. "I should probably get to making dinner."

Emma blinked at the abrupt turn in conversation, before she nodded her agreement. She turned away fro a towel and got down to business. Regina moved around the kitchen, gathering her pots, pans, utensils, and ingredients for dinner.

It was as she grabbed the last of her ingredients, tomato, fresh from her garden, that she bumped into Emma.

Emma caught her, keeping her from falling back. Regina felt her heart hammer in her chest from the closeness of the woman and knew then, that she was in trouble. If she was right, this woman was bringing out a reaction that only one other had brought out in her, but much worse. She it her lip as she stepped away from the blonde. Emma let her go as if she had been burned.

"I think I'm just going to go lay down for a bit until dinner…." Emma told her, backing away. She seemed nervous suddenly. Had she noticed Regina's reaction to her?

"You do that." Regina told her curtly. They turned away from one another quickly before going their separate ways. Regina began dinner with her mind more distracted than she had in the last year. One Emma Swan invading every corner of it.

Upstairs, in the bedroom she now shared with Ruby, one Emma Swan, now found herself unable to think of anyone but Regina Mills….


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Okay, all. I have decided to continue this story. I will do my best to keep updates up quicker. (My inspiration will kick back up tenfold when the next season of a OUaT starts back up, usually dissatisfaction at each episode kicks me into writing to satisfy the ache. Ha.) I am also going to be looking for a new job soon, so hopefully that makes a difference. I make no promises!**

_Later in the Evening_

Emma Swan found herself sitting at the dinner table with the rest of the household. She had been introduced to each of the women living there. The tall, long-haired brunette, Ruby, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Emma had a feeling they would get along just fine as roommates, though she might have to watch it; Ruby looked the type that would be convincing enough to get her into some trouble. There was another blonde in the house, Kathryn. She wore her hair pulled back and wrapped up in one of the kerchiefs the factory workers wore. It seemed she kept it on until she bathed properly. Then there was a rather cheery-looking brunette with short-hair. Her name was Mary Margaret. Ruby had called her MM.

Emma had also met the slightly withdrawn Henry. She had managed to draw the tiniest of smiles from him when she had produced a small puzzle game she played with when traveling. It had warmed her a little when his mother had protested and Emma insisted, "It was the least I could do to see the kid smile," she had told the woman. The warm smile she had received from Regina after that had made her body heat up tenfold.

Emma shivered, even as her stomach clenched in fear. She knew what these feelings were. She just hoped she could get past them this time.

"Are you cold, Miss Swan?" Came that dark, husky voice from the other end of the table. Emma snapped herself out of her thoughts. She met chocolate brown eyes. Regina's eyes.

"Oh, no, I think I just caught a chill for a moment. Im fine now." Emma lied. She averted her gaze toward her dinner bowl. It was empty. It had been a pretty decent meal for what had been laid out. Simple. Stew, bread, and just a little bit of butter. Rationing caused them to use very little of it, but it was still very good.

Emma leaned back in hear seat. She was pretty satisfied for the meal.

Conversation seemed to flow endlessly around this household. The other women chattered constantly. Gossiping about work.

"-hear about that foreign guy getting himself into trouble again?" Ruby's voice floated over the table.

"Oh you mean Killian?" Kathryn replied. She shook her head.

"What did that idiot do this time?"

"Oh, apparently he was bothering the matron again. Said something along the lines of 'filling her bed until her husband came home'. Well. You can imagine how she took that." Ruby told the blonde.

Regina set down her glass with a very audible _clink! _The entire table tried to look at her.

"Ruby, I'm not quite sure if that particular conversation is appropriate for the dinner table. Perhaps it couldn't have waited until after? In your room perhaps?" Regina glared at the slightly younger woman admonishingly. She also gave a slight nod toward the boy on her right, indicating his presence.

Ruby clapped her hands over her mouth. "Oh. I am so sorry, Regina. Sometimes I forget. I do apologize."

Regina simply nodded. "It is quite alright, just…." She shifted uncomfortably.

Emma watched the entire exchange with interest. Honestly, Henry would hear of such subjects from other sources, other boys, it was probably best if he got them from home, where he could ask questions. She wondered about the other woman. Did she really want to smother him so much?

Emma pushed back her seat and stood. She stretched, tomorrow would be an early day. She should really get to bed.

"Miss Swan?" Regina called from her end of the table.

Emma shot a glance at her before quickly, awkwardly pretending to dust herself for any crumbs.

"Yes-?" She wasn't sure how to address the other woman. Was she a miss? Misses? Even at her own dinner table she was being rather formal. At least toward Emma. She wondered what had garnered that particular behavior from her.

The brunette watched her with interest.

"Are you… Tired of us already?" Something in her voice caused Emma to look up suddenly. The air became taut. The tension palpable as the two women held gazes. Regina's breath caught and Emma could feel her heart beating harder in her chest.

A tug at Regina's right sleeve snapped her attention to Henry. He looked at her meaningfully. His bowl was empty.

"Well, Henry, go upstairs and wash up. Put your bowl in the sink. I'll be upstairs when it is time and we can read for a bit before bedtime." Regina told him softly.

The boy nodded and removed himself from the seat carefully. He grabbed his plate and moved off with the efficiency of someone who had been well-trained to do these things since birth and hurried up to the second floor.

Emma watched as it happened. She crossed her arms. There were some serious problems in this house. Regina returned her attention to her and looked at her with a raised brow. The other women at the table shifted uncomfortably.

"Is there something you want to speak about, Miss Swan?" Regina wondered. Emma caught on her tone, she probably shouldn't start anything with the woman. Not at the dinner table.

"Not right now. Maybe later." Emma replied. She reached forward, grabbing at her dishes and utensils. She stepped away from the table as the other women broke into whispering and chatter.

Emma placed everything she used in the sink and filled it up with water. She began to rinse and clean everything she used, plus all that Henry had been using to eat with. She knew Regina probably did all of the cleaning, but honestly, Emma liked to do her own cleaning when she could. She had a feeling the other women did plenty around the house as it was. Everything seemed so immaculate, though there were a few items that could use repairs from what Emma had seen. Maybe she could do something about that.

The door to the kitchen swinging open drew Emma out of her thoughts. Regina entered, something in her stance told Emma she was in for a bit of a tiff. Emma rolled her sleeves up, sliding her hands into the water. She was so not ready to deal with that.

The clicking of the brunettes heels came closer as she made her way toward the sink. She set her dishes next to the sink silently.

"It isn't quite necessary for you to do your own dishes, Miss Swan. I am quite fine with doing them." Regina told her from her left.

Emma rubbed at a dish with a rag. She scrubbed and glanced at the other woman.

"Not used to being helped out, are you?" Emma told her.

Regina watched her steadily.

"Whatever do you mean by that, Miss Swan?" Regina breathed out. Seeing the way the woman's muscles flexed along her arms, the way she held herself, in an act as simple as cleaning, it was creating a strange mix of sensations within herself. She was beginning to feel a flush creep up her chest.

Emma shrugged. "Only that it seems you are accustomed to others letting you handle everything on your own. That you also seem to like doing everything for everyone else. Maybe it makes you feel better. Less lonely. If you stay busy, you won't have to think about something that is bothering you."

Emma grabbed Regina's dishes and began cleaning them.

"It's Emma, by the way. In case if you forgot."

Regina was at a loss for words. How had this woman seen right through her? She stepped back. She needed a little bit of breathing room.

"What makes you think you even know me, Miss-?" She was cut off by a huff from the blonde.

"Emma." The blonde insisted.

Regina glared at her. "Emma."

The blonde finished with the dishes, drying them with a clean towel. She turned toward the brunette.

"I don't. It's just what I'm learning from what I see." Emma told her with a shrug.

Regina's mistake in that moment was meeting Emma's gaze.

She _had_ seen that look before. In his eyes. Regina shuddered.

"Are you cold?" Emma asked, suddenly concerned.

Regina shook her head. "No, no I just… Had a feeling."

Emma raised her brows. Could she be feeling the same? Emma stepped away from the sink toward the other woman. Regina clenched her hands. She bit her lip. The room was beginning to feel very warm.

"What is it?" Emma asked her.

Regina shook her head. "I'm not sure I can say."

Emma moved closer. She was slow, careful. She didn't want to unnerve the other woman, but she had to know.

"You know, I feel like… I know we just met, but…. You can tell me anything, Regina." Emma told her quietly.

Regina nodded. She watched the other woman, like a wild animal who might scare easily. One wrong move, and she was ready to flee. Emma edged closer. She stopped just a step away from being right within her personal space.

Emma reached out. She tucked a hair behind a Regina's ear. The brunette's eyes fell shut, she drew in a shuddering breath as she leaned into the intimate touch.

The kitchen door swung upon, causing the two women to spin apart. Emma turned toward the dishes she had been cleaning, and hurriedly began moving to put them away.

Ruby and the other women entered the kitchen. They placed dishes in the sink. The tall brunette walked over to Emma, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"My roomie, huh?" She smiled wide at Emma.

Emma nodded.

"We're gonna have so much fun! I'm going to go clean up, then sleep. Umm…" Ruby seemed to get suddenly shy. "I tend to be very clumsy in the mornings, so if I bump into a lot of stuff in the morning, don't worry about it."

Emma laughed. "Okay."

With that, the lanky woman bounced away and out of the kitchen, the other women having already left without her. Regina watched the kitchen door steadily.

"Miss- Emma, breakfast is served at 6 a.m. I trust you can wake yourself up. I must now attend to my son. If you don't mind, I will also get to those dishes after…" Regina told her, her manner had changed so quickly after being interrupted.

Emma bit her lip. It seemed the other woman's walls were back up.

Regina made her way toward the door, as she passed Emma, she found her wrist being caught in the other woman's hand. Regina turned to look at Emma, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Emma?" She questioned, before realizing her mistake. They were so close now. She could see the swirling blue and green hues in Emma's eyes. Catch the perfume of the woman's scent rising from her skin. She felt her stomach flutter. Her body warming and her heart beating quickly.

Emma stepped in closer to Regina and brought her hand up to cup the woman's cheek. She knew this could be so much trouble for her, for them both. If only they kept it between them both, it could be okay.

For a moment, brown eyes held green, then the slightly shorter brunette reached up into blonde curls and tugged Emma in.

"Just kiss me already." Regina growled, before crashing her plump, dark lips into Emma's pink ones.

Emma felt as though her head was on fire. Tingling shot from her lips to the rest of her body. She felt her heart hammering, her skin burning. She knew then she was definitely doomed to this woman.

Regina's knees buckled. She held onto Emma for dear life. She knew she had barely met this woman, but something about the way she was, about how she had seen right through her just called to her.

They pulled apart after several long moments. Emma rested her forehead against Regina's.

"What does this mean?" Regina whispered.

Emma shook her head. "I'm not sure. Let's just take it one step at a time, okay?"

Regina nodded against her. She brushed her nose against Emma's, then pressed her lips against hers again, lightly.

"I'm going to take care of Henry. We'll talk tomorrow." Regina told her softly.

"Okay," Emma found herself answering. She touched her lips as Regina stepped back and walked away, an extra sway to her hips.

_Yep. I'm doomed. _Emma thought.


End file.
